Whistling Vivaldi: And Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us

[Jack]

Whistling Vivaldi: And Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us by Claude M. Steele, W. W. Norton & Company, 2011.

It is available in paperback for approximately $10 or through your public library system. I find this a good follow on to Are We Born Racist?: New Insights from Neuroscience and Positive Psychology by Jason Marsh (editor).

The author provides a detailed walkthrough about the existence and impacts of identity and stereotype threat. He provides considerable research support in clear and straightforward descriptions of how the problem has been examined and the conclusions of multiple research trials. For me, the most interesting chapter was "Reducing Identity and Stereotype Threat: a New Hope" as it described work in K-12 grades and use of self affirmation. This lead me to think upon the use of quality children's and young adult literature from the Coretta Scott King and Newbery Awards and how the literature could be used to support and strengthen self affirmation in students through reading and discussion.
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"The acclaimed social psychologist offers an insider’s look at his research and groundbreaking findings on stereotypes and identity.
Claude M. Steele, who has been called “one of the few great social psychologists,” offers a vivid first-person account of the research that supports his groundbreaking conclusions on stereotypes and identity. He sheds new light on American social phenomena from racial and gender gaps in test scores to the belief in the superior athletic prowess of black men, and lays out a plan for mitigating these “stereotype threats” and reshaping American identities."
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